2009 GNCC Racing - Round 1 - River Ranch - ATV Race Coverage

[Pappy]

The start of the 2009 season would, as always, be heading south to sunny Florida to kick off the season. This years event would be held at the scenic River Ranch facility near Lake Wales.


This area is one full of nature and diveristy as the wildlife flourishes in the marshes that surround the ranch

[Pappy]

Gators would be one of many species those walking the track would need to be looking for, as the toothy reptiles are just about everywhere here, Most everyone had a story to share of seeing something as they went about their days at the ranch

[Pappy]

There are literally hundreds of birds in this region, however the sight of an American Bald Eagle is always inspiring. There were a few at the ranch that were reported to me but with our shooting schedule I was unable to go seek them out.

With the backdrop of the season opener set against such a mysterious and exciting landscape, this looked to be one of the best first rounds of the past few years. Horseback riding, a rodeo, a saloon,chartered fishing trips, airboat tours and much much more to do for everyone, I sure am hoping that the GNCC Series has found a home for many seasons to come here at River Ranch

[Pappy]

Arriving at the facility saturday morning, I found everyone busy as bee's working on last minute items and setting up thier pit areas.

For Jennifer Albright, this would be a home town track as she is a Florida native and resides about an hour from this years location. Albright seemed to have a different perspective about her upcoming season as we chatted during a quick photoshoot.

"I think I just want to have fun and work more towards running my own race" stated Albright. "I know I can win, I just need to do my own thing and not worry about anyone else. This being my home area, I feel I can run upfront" stated Jennifer.

She seemed pretty laid back and pretty confident from what I could tell and I had a feeling that getting some pre-race shots of her would pay off.

[Pappy]

Youth racer Charlie Welch is a terror on his mini race quad and is sure developing into one talented rider. The entire Welch crew will be at round #2, where his younger sister Sadie will gear up and join the series for another year of mini racing action!

[Pappy]

Charlie might be a ham in front of the camera, but he is all business when the throttle rolls on! I enjoy working with these little guys and gals so much, I just wish there was more time at the races to hear thier stories not only of the racing action, but in general. We have a group of kids in this series that are hard working and respectful and it is a valuable asset in my opinion as these kids will one day grace our pro ranks.

[Pappy]

For some, the mini quad days are now but a memory. Racers like Mathew Harris and others will be making the step up to the big quads as the season moves forward.

[Pappy]

One of the biggest things I have been hearing and seeing the past two seasons is how now, you had best have everything in order well before the season starts and I am not talking just about the machine.

Being in top physical form is now paramount in most classes and in Pro and Pro AM it is mandatory. A good training program and in many cases, a trainer are all part of the program for these guys. Eric Hoyland had put in his time during the off season and is looking forward to a solid season. Training and mental preparidness have been his best friends for the past few months and he is hoping it pays off.

[Pappy]

The unsung heroes of our series are the many people behind the scenes that support the racers. Most of the time that means family and what they do by giving time, money and sacrifice is what keeps many on the seat in this series. Eric is fortunate enough to have two wonderful parents that back him 100% in every way they can. Family should be first and foremost for everyone, but when it comes to racing, it helps hold together that bond that many loose as we all grow up and apart. It does me good to see families working together, both in bad times and good. One may never become the next Bill Ballance, but in years to come, they can look back and be proud that no matter what the results show, they did it all together.

[Pappy]

Hoyland will be one of the racers we follow all season long so we wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors!

[Pappy]

Santo Derisi I am sure would love to erase last year from his memory as far as racing goes. His accident at a local race left him battered and broken and he quickly found himself falling well off the pace. Working himself back would be no easy task but Derisi is a veteran of many battles and knows quiting isn't an option.

Sticking with a tried and true set up, Derisi turned to Moto-Xperts for a reliable and powerfull engine set up this season. Combining the power with his own brand of suspension parts, Derisi wants to have a solid season and get back to where he wants to be, and thats as close to the leader as possible!

Santo has his work cut out for him, but no matter how he finishes, he is one great guy to have in our series and is always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need.

[Pappy]

We wish Santo the best of luck this season as we do all the competitors.

[Pappy]

Coming off his best GNCC XC1 class season ever, Brian Cook looks primed to back it all up as we kick off 2009.

Cook had something to prove last year, and he did just that as he secured the #5 plate after an incredibly hard fought battle that started at round #1 last year. For the Carolina native, seeing the big money and attention given to others had him fueled to do even more as he privateered his team into the limelight. His results garnered him some much needed support for this season and now that he has a taste of success, I dont look for him to slack off for one minute this season.

[Pappy]

We will be keeping Cook close to us this season as we watch him do his best to try and secure the XC1 championship.

[Pappy]

Gabe Phillips is another rider that will be providing us an inside look at his season as we head into the season. I have been watching Gabe race for several years now and have watched him progress to the Pro AM class so it will be exciting for me to not only hear from him each round, but to see if we cant help him support his sponsors in the process.

[Pappy]

We did so many photoshoots that fitting them all in just isnt going to happen in a single coverage thread. We would also like to extend the offer for doing more shoots at upcoming rounds to anyone interested and it doesnt matter what class you are running, just send me a pm or email bkperformance@peoplepc.com and tell me what round you will be available and if we can make it happen we will.

With the economy so bad, we really want to try and offer you all as much publicity as we can for yourself, current sponsors and future sponsors. Hopefully it will pay off for your efforts!

[Pappy]

The practice session at the opening round really adds to the event. It gives everyone a chance to double check thier set up and dial in thier suspension for the sandy conditions.

Chris Borich was looking smoking fast during his time on the course, and it was very apparent his off season was spent training, riding and getting his Rockstar Suzuki primed for another run at a championship.

[Pappy]

Jeff Pickens slams through the rough and whooped out practice track as he prepares to do battle this season aboard a Yamaha.

[Pappy]

The Florida soil shows no mercy as it ruts and whoops out, but does seem to offer traction in most places.

[Pappy]

Derec Robinson takes a look at his sand filled roost as he powers out of a corner. This is as close to dune riding as it gets for some of us so we have to take it when we can:p

[Pappy]

As the warm sun set, crews from various teams were busy making the final preperations for sundays race

[Pappy]

The Warnert Racing Can Am team has been battling all last season and through the off season trying to make sure issues are handled.

[Pappy]

Just feet away from a full factory backed team sat a 250R primed for competition. It still amazes me how far we have come, and yet how far we still have to go!

[Pappy]

Wes Stone would be riding a full Roll 250R, unfortunatley for Wes, he damaged the engine during practice and spent saturday evening with John Bowers swapping it out for a another

[Pappy]

Angel Atwell will be riding out of the team FRE/KTM stable this season!

[Pappy]

Joe Borich and John Rowlings check over Chris's machines

[Pappy]

Now I thought I was done come sun down. The shoots were done, my feet were tired and then I get told we had to go play at a rodeo:p

[Pappy]

I hate bad light and this place was full of it, so I wasnt having any fun with the camera. But how can you not like watching a guy get slammed to the dirt:p

[Pappy]

I dont ride dinner:p And here dinner gets a little payback:devil:

[Pappy]

Im all for a good rodeo now and then....there is just something about a man screwing around with a 1200 pound highly pissed off animal....


Sort of like watching nascar just to see a wreck:o :D

[Pappy]

Now here is a prime example of southern folk having fun with city kids:o

Nothing better then getting them kids running around in cow crap chasing after a red ribbon tied to a calf's tail...then sending them back to a hotel with no way to get that smell out of the room:devil:

[Pappy]

It takes some skill and alot of practice to rope these suckers!

[Pappy]

The ranch puts on the rodeo every weekend and was an added treat for those looking for something to do

[Pappy]

By now I am sure your ready for some more atv action....but the GNCC folks had a little surprise for the cowboys.

Barrel racing for those that dont know, has a set of 3 barrels set in a triangle pattern a specific distance from each other. The rider enters the ring running wide open and will make a run around each barrel and then back out for the best time.

[Pappy]

Enter Chris Bithell as he gets a run at the barrells!

[Pappy]

Bill Ballance and Chris Bithell gave it thier best and put on a great show! Ballance was only 1 second off the fastest horse.....letting them cowboys know 4 wheels can compete:cool:

[Pappy]

I figured Ballance might take a turn at the bull.....but he has more sense then that:eek2:

[Pappy]

The night ended and boy was I whooped:p The morning would come all to early as the sound of mini quads would soon break the morning calm!

[Pappy]

62 Youth ATV racers were entered for the opening round of competition. This is an awesome start to thier season as mnay find the Florida round out of thier reach and pick up the series at round #2.

Gage Rickman would get the honor of grabbing the first holeshot of the 2009 season as he rips out of turn 1 leading the 90 Modified(11-15) class

[Pappy]

Jordan MCCraw would be battling for the holeshot in 90 Mod (8-11)

[Pappy]

Tristan Garrett put his DRR out front in turn 1 in 90 Limited (8-11)

[Pappy]

70 CVT rider Brandon Frazier would be edging out fellow class riders as they converge on turn 1

[Pappy]

There were only 2 entries in Super Mini and I either boned the shots or missed them....I am banking on I boned the shots, sorry guys :p


The sandy track would be rough even for the mini racers, but they handled it no problem!

[Pappy]

Christopher Bishop pilots his DRR in expert fashion as he rides to a 6th plac e finish in 70 CVT

[Pappy]

A quick look to a mom or dad for instruction from Blake Chirdon. Blake ran to a 7th place finish in 90 Mod

[Pappy]

I spend alot of time looking at riders eyes in my pictures, and the youth are no exception. The intensity draws me in and tells me alot about what is going on.

[Pappy]

Levi Coen would ride to victory in Super Mini and give Pitster Pro its first win in the GNCC series!

[Pappy]

A quick stop for fuel and some quick race advice is the norm for many of the youth racers

[Pappy]

For a young racer, it doesnt get much better then hammering out of a corner with fans and family standing right there to see it!

[Pappy]

Allie Slate would finish 9th in 90 Mod

[Pappy]

Charlie Welch takes a look at the next turn as he rides to a class win in 70 CVT!!

Charlie had this to say after the race:

"I got a new 70cc DRR quad over the winter. I also got invited to be on the GT Thunder mini youth team.
I started round #1 with an awesome suspension from GT Thunder and I was #2 on the holeshot. We had an amazing 15 quads in the class. I led lap #1 with 2 70's right on my butt. I shook one racer, but Seth Brown gave me static for the next 2 laps until I finally broke away and got the 1st win of the season . I knew I was passing many racers and thought I would have a decent overall but my dad let me know the good news with a loud scream and hug. Our goal for the season was to get a top 10 and we got 7th overall. I was shocked!!!! This is the 1st top 10 for a 70 cvt quad in gncc history and hopefully I can put together a good race and do it again.

I would like to think Midwest Moto, GT Thunder,
HyghOctane Graphics,Lucas Oil, RaceDaypics,Finish Line Cafe,Snydermotorsports, and especially my family and friends."

[Pappy]

Seth Brown would follow Welch in for 2nd in 70 CVT

[Pappy]

Derec Robinson was running strong, and found himself winning 90 Mod 12-15 and taking the overall. Excellent ride Derec!

[Pappy]

Jay Shadron was flyin! I believe he suffered mechanical issues on the last lap and was in contention to win the overall by time. Tough break Jay...you'll make up for this at round 2~!

[Pappy]

The podium was filled with smiles as we had our first winners of 2009!

[Pappy]

A big old congrats to Derec Robinson, Doug Howarth and Vincent Harris on a job well done!

[Pappy]

The day moves pretty fast and no sooner then we cleared the youth podium it was time to get the morning race started.

Can Am racers Rick Cecco and Scott Kilby chat before the start

[Pappy]

Phil and Jennifer Albright getting ready to get another season of racing started

[Pappy]

Yamaha's Traci Cecco prior to the start. I ordered the wind to blow her hair back for a high fashion type look:o


Traci will have her hands full again this season as she fends off a hord of talent in the womens class

[Pappy]

Micheal Swift being cheesy before he goes after another dominating season!

[Pappy]

Harlen Foley being told where to go:devil:

[Pappy]

Bryan Buckhannon found some serious support for the 2009 season. After decimating his class last year, he was faced with cutting back to only running 9 rounds in 2009 due to lack of funds.

Enter Warnert Racing and a full ride! Go get'em Bryan....make WV proud yet again!

[Pappy]

Now with me and Harlen both at the race, we decided to split up to capture different views of the starts. We did not have time for me to grab his first corner shots so you are stuck with mine from turn 963:devil:

4x4 Open was turned loose first this round and the big machines wasted no time closing the gap between myself and the start. Buckhannon was already looking like he wanted out front as he battles for the lead with Kilby

[Pappy]

The ladies were next as Angel Atwell put her FRE/KTM out front

[Pappy]

Jennifer Albright was in 3rd as the air was now littered with flying grass and sand!

[Pappy]

Traci Cecco wasnt up front and already she was going to have to battle to the front and the race wasnt 45 seconds old!

[Pappy]

Micheal Swift came charging into my view as he leads out 4x4 Limited.

You will notice the changing light in the pictures as the storm front we all had been anticipating moved in quickly!

[Pappy]

Rath Racings Cody Anderson drops the hammer on his new Polaris. many would like to see the Can Am boys unseated...do these guys have what it takes? No pressure guys:D

[Pappy]

Rick Cecco leads out the U2 class.

[Pappy]

Micheal Benson said he hadnt raced since last fall but was going to go fast for as long as he could:p

[Pappy]

Jeremie Dudding will be running in U2 this year and has his sights set on doing very well

[Pappy]

Glen Pritchard had no problem finding the go button as he runs out front in Super Senior

[Pappy]

Once we get into the many C classes and such, making a good ID on riders and thier respective class gets tough, so hopefully a few pictures will suffice

[Pappy]

The KTM's are growing in number and looks to be a solid ride

[Pappy]

I expect as we move into the next few rounds and attendence picks up, we will see even more

[Pappy]

I could careless what you ride, but it is good to see more machines from all the manufactures being raced. This is a big step up from just a few short years ago!

[Pappy]

David Hunsacker heads out in 30+ C

[Pappy]

Womens Novice had 12 entries this round, and I hope to see this class grow!

[Pappy]

Womens class racer Shanna Bradshaws mom Joyce, had enough watching and climbed aboard a 450R and went racing!

[Pappy]

Schoolboy was off and running as one of the riders blows the corner

[Pappy]

No big deal, except that the brush down here hurts and doesnt give:p

[Pappy]

This class is always fun to keep track off and i am looking forward to another great year watching these guys

[Pappy]

They flat out attack the course, I love it!

[Pappy]

With all riders on the track, it was time for everyone to branch off to thier spots to watch the race or back to thier pits to be ready for action if thier rider needs it.

The wind started blowing like mad and i was sure we would get dumped on, but thankfully for me (lots of camera gear + rain = pappy not happy) we only got a few drops. For the racers, the only salvation was the wind helped clear some of the dust.

[Pappy]

Being a wuss, I ducked into a section of palmetto's that was only a short run from some open trailers :p

[Pappy]

early on, sections allowed a fairly smooth run until the next obstacle was encountered

[Pappy]

The dim light allowed me to show some motion as I panned with the riders.

[Pappy]

All Shane Hitt needed was some cowboy boots , a cowboy hat and a six shooter and he would be set:devil:

Hitt awaits Angel Atwell to come past for an update to the KTM team

[Pappy]

A blown rear shock on the 1st lap of florida is just bad news

[Pappy]

Buckhannon was out front and making that machine fly!

[Pappy]

Atwell was charging hard and it wouldnt be to long before she took over the lead

[Pappy]

Just seconds behind Atwell was Albright and I could tell she had brought her A game!

[Pappy]

Cecco had made a move or two and was now in 3rd (Womens class)

[Pappy]

Rick Cecco looked to be doing well as the first lap was completed

[Pappy]

Jeremie Dudding and his new hot rod get to work in the florida sand

[Pappy]

Robert Smith.....will be the rider to beat in U2 this season!

[Pappy]

John Gallagher Sr getting things done on the new Polaris

[Pappy]

Albright had taken over the lead and was wasting no time getting traffic cleared. I could hear her moving people long before I saw her:p

[Pappy]

Angel Atwell was not far behind and hard on the throttle

[Pappy]

Buckhannon was still leading his class but had fallen to 3rd overall

[Pappy]

Traci Cecco now had only a few lappers between her and the leaders and needed to get up there and battle

[Pappy]

Scott Kilby hugs the inside line as he clears a lapper

[Pappy]

Benson doing his best to find smoother track!

[Pappy]

Dudding hammer down:macho

[Pappy]

Kickers were everywhere as the track started to get rough

[Pappy]

Jamie Bougher putting his machine to the test as another lap is completed

[Pappy]

Riders in the background work things out

[Pappy]

As the laps counted down, riders were going to have to make every pass count

[Pappy]

Jesi Stracham would be starting her first full season in the Womens class. Jesi would ride to a solid 6th place finish at todays event!

[Pappy]

Robert Smith would move to the front of the U2 class and hold the position taking the class win!

[Pappy]

BJ Naugle would see his lead slip as he had to make an emergency pit stop for fuel. BJ went on to finish 2nd in 20 C but now knows he can win and I look for him to meet his goal when he rejoins the series at round 3

[Pappy]

Getting the slightest bit out of shape could mean a hang up.....


But hey...it made for some kick *** pictures eh?:devil:

[Pappy]

Angel Atwell had regained the lead from Albright and was now just a few turns from her first victory of 2009!

Atwell had one get off but she appeared to get herself uprighted and going again, and I know this win feels pretty dang sweet!

[Pappy]

Albright was on a mission and did not let up for one second today and that got her on the podium with 2nd in class and 2nd overall!

[Pappy]

Traci Cecco would round out the 3rd position in the womens class but her effort wouldnt be enough to get her on the podium

[Pappy]

Micheal Swift, Bryan Buckhannon and Cliffton Beasley started the season off right by claiming thier respective class wins.

[Pappy]

You know the rules..........If you dump it..I catch it:p Nice save;)

[Pappy]

I was off to change out batteries and such as harlen foley grabbed pics of the podium. It was awesome to see Jennifer Albright do so well in front of her hometown crowd!

Atwell draws first blood in what we all know will be another tough year in the womens class and round 2 will be an all out war as Cecco will want to get a win on the board.

Micheal Swift...the man is just fast and seeing him on the podium is nothing new for sure. He makes it look so easy:p

Thats it for the morning and youth and pre race.....now its time to dig in to the afternoon classes and ofcourse the pro's!


Photo by Foley

[Pappy]

With crack photo Foley busy schmoozing the pro's and me dealing with a battery charging issue(lack there of:chinese: ) I stayed back again at a spot away from all the action. So for this round, you'll have to hit the galleries to see the pics of your favorite pro on the line.

I did manage to catch Ockerman has he did his final last minute things before heading out. he is alot slower off the quad...much easier to photograph :p

[Pappy]

I could hear all the pre race songs play and the prayer completed and then the silence that bestoes the echoing bellow of the "10 seconds" call!

The XC1 class fired to life and was heading for the first turn. Almost in unison, the roar of the machines now screaming for the right handed turn quieted slightly and only for a brief second as the riders set up for the first turn of the 2009 season. In an instant, the sound of full throttle racing shot across the flat terrain as once again the riders screamed for turn two!

Now running behind a large row of trees and brush and still out of my sight, I started getting keyed up as I knew my chances to grab the leader would be over in the bat of an eye. The dust that I could see rising from the first few turns would soon be driven my way by the wind and joined by the blackened soil that would surely overwhelm me and take away any chance of a shot of all but the leader.

As I peered through my lens checking my exposure one last time, I could see a yellow blur entering from left. It was Chris Borich out front! In 2008 he was left kicking over his machine in an attempt to get it fired and now he was screaming ahead of the class with the lead!

[Pappy]

Brandon Sommers was holding second as he now would face the black dust being kicked up by Borichs Suzuki

[Pappy]

XC2 was off the line and it would be Brian Wolf with the lead

[Pappy]

Eric Hoyland would be the last identifiable rider to this turn, from this point on it was pitch black!

Eric provided us with some comments after his race:

"I left Indiana last year with a smile on my face knowing that my goals for the 2008 GNCC racing season had been reached: a top 10 finish in the XC2 class and a top 25 overall number. With those accomplished, I knew that my goals for the 2009 race season would have to be one step higher. So my goals for this year are a top 3 finish in XC2 and a top 15 overall number.

To be one up on my goals, I knew that I would have to step up my workout and find some way to ride during the West Virginia winter season. So we packed up and headed down to the Sunshine State. We found a great place to ride in Okeechobee, Florida called the Kriton Ranch/Thundercross. Great people there. They made us feel at home, except 60 degrees warmer than the Mountain State.

I got to see my fair share of whoops and high-birm turns. Setting my quad up for the sandy whoops is different than any other terrain. It gets set up a little bit higher and stiffer than normal so I can charge the vicious whoop sections that Florida has to offer when the flag drops.

I knew a good start is important on a fast track like this, so I kicked my bike with all I had and pulled off a second on the holeshot. I really have my Maxxis tires mounted on Hiper wheels and my Recluse clutch to thank for giving me the traction I needed for that great start.

I was running 2nd the first lap until about 50 yards from the finish line when I had the option to hit a jump or go around it. So I did what any 21 year-old kid would do: I hit the jump. But I did not hit it hard enough, and I face-planted into the bank on the other side. I quickly got back on and came through the check point in 3rd place about one minute behind 2nd. I held it there strong in 3rd for the next few laps mostly thanks to my Fast Flexx Bars and my ARS FX suspension components with my Exit Shocks, which all allowed me to weather the whoops better. With more laps comes fatigue, and on the last lap I got passed for 3rd place.

My goal for Florida was to get on the podium, but 4th was all I had in me. Now, I have to hold my head up high, wash all the sand off my bike, and charge into Georgia with a positive attitude, looking to dominate the XC2 class."

[Pappy]

Walker Fowler would be making his College A racing debut and wasted no time in making it known he wasnt here to fool around. Fowler out front!

[Pappy]

Junior A 22+ racer Fred Marley was your leader as the class dives into the turn

[Pappy]

Curtis Forrester held the lead at this point in Senior A

[Pappy]

Without knowing who was starting where, I lost track of what class was running:p i could then maybe figure out who swung wide and wiped out one of my tripods and flash units:scary:

[Pappy]

Micheal novak heads out with Vet B

[Pappy]

I had barely set up when Borich came screaming by still holding the lead. he looked fast in practice on saturday and it was showing that what he had done in the off season had was paying off.

[Pappy]

Brandon Sommers was running in the #2 spot as more of the XC1 class could be heard screaming my way

[Pappy]

Kiser was holding 3rd as Ockerman sailed past in 4th

[Pappy]

It was Wolf, Hoyland and Crane running upfront in XC2

[Pappy]

As the classes mix it up, and the riders battle for position, the feeling to let off the gas disappears!

[Pappy]

Joey Margueria stepped up to the XC2 class for 2009 and will be running the new Polaris.

[Pappy]

Rob Oakley finds the smoothest way around the course was to just jump most of it!

[Pappy]

Wes Stone rolls old school in Junior A!

[Pappy]

Johnny Gallagher works through a rough section. The afternoon race would face some brutally rough track!

[Pappy]

David Crane going in hard!

[Pappy]

McGill was on the throttle all day, but a crash after tangling with a lapper may have ruined his shot at pushing a little harder and going for the lead.

McGill would grab a podium spot however with a solid 3rd place finish

[Pappy]

The whooped out course was giving alot of riders problems as it literally swallowed them

[Pappy]

The shifting loose soil combined with the whooped out sections would send a rider ofcourse in less then a split section as bryan Cook found out when he hooked a rut and it sent him square into a palmetto!

[Pappy]

Chris Bithell wouldnt have a great day, but a top 10 finish is solid and a good start to build on! Bithell went home with the 7th spot

[Pappy]

Ockerman would find himself in the 5th position when the checkers flew

[Pappy]

Brandon Sommers would run into mechanical issues and finish in the 16th spot

[Pappy]

The racing doesnt end when the checkered flag is in sight!

[Pappy]

Jeff Pickens was inside the top 10 and grabbed himself the 8th spot

[Pappy]

Jarrod McClure would follow Pickens in claiming the 9th position

[Pappy]

For Johnny G, a 10th place finish would have to do, but from what I saw, he has alot more in him. The off season has been training and riding filled and I do expect some serious finishes from him as we get away from florida!

[Pappy]

Josh Kirkland would find himself in the right place at the end of teh race, claiming 1st in XC2!

[Pappy]

William Yokely's first GNCC aboard his new ride from polaris had him just outside the top 10 as he finished in the 11th position. It will be interesting as we head into the next 3 rounds to see how well he can do on the new model

[Pappy]

For many riders, only saturdays practice would get them accustomed to the florida terrain. For others several trips down during the off season were accomplished. This round means alot to many riders and doing well here is important to them.

AJ Koontz connected with a tree and broke a spindle late in the race.

[Pappy]

Walker Fowler had something to prove to himself....and he met his goal by winning College A! Great ride walker!!!!

[Pappy]

Taylor Kiser on cruise control as he slips into the checkers and claims his first ever GNCC XC1 win! Awesome performance and we are very proud to see it!!!

[Pappy]

McGill would be proud of his finish but wont be satisfied till he is at the center of that podium!

[Pappy]

Borich proclaimed he was ready for the next round tomorrow! He stated that they had issues resolved and that he was as good as he has ever been so lets go!

[Pappy]

Its been a long battle for Kiser to finally get this win, and there were so many close battles that this one has to taste so sweet!

Let it sink in Taylor....and lets get started building that trophy case for more!

[Pappy]

Thats it folks. round one is in the books. I am sorry to have cut the afternoon race a little short but due to a screw up, I lost around 2 laps of pictures. Harlen has them but even though we are in the same state we cant connect for me to get them from him!

We hope you did enjoy what we have to offer and look forward to diving back into the thick of it at round #2!

[Pappy]

Complete Photo galleries, press releases and other event news can be seen here

http://www.atvriders.com/atvracing/gncc-xc-atv-racing-2009.html#1

[Sjorge450R]

great job pappy. You make us feel like we are there with every picture. Already refreshing my page waiting for the Georgia race pics.

[wolfpack91]

Great coverage as usual Pappy!!

Keep your camera on the look out for Roger Swim in the +50 class. He will win races and be in the hunt for the championship in the class. He is another Lincoln Trail Motosports (Casey IL.) racer to cause havoc in the GNCC's. Ryan Lane, Donnie Ockerman, and Parker Jones are just a few of the others that cut their teeth and win track championships there.

[RaptorRacer45]

Thanks Again and great job Pappy......I learned Luckly those Florida Palimino bushes are fairly soft compared to the trees. Cant wait for the Georgia coverage and then to get back into it all in North Carolina!:D

[reconmaster]

awesome report pappy! good job bj!

[ccmuscle22]

Hey Kenny,
Your pictures are so crisp. Great shots.
Keep in touch. Let me know if Cody needs anything. i had a great conversation with Kevin Hill today. Great guy, he's going to test our MXN in a couple of weeks.

Christian
TEAM MXN MotoX Nutrition
www.motoxnutrition.com

[Pappy]

Haha thanks Christian, That would be my brother. i have spoken highly about your products to him.


Cody is just test riding these days and for fun. After the broken leg he had some choices to make about this season, so he will be joining me at round 3 to help photograph the events. You would be proud, he lifts weights alot these days and has done some growing:p

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1047/3267935418_5aa95e5591_o.jpg

[fastredrider44]

I'm pretty sure I saw you in that turn with your equipment and you didn't look happy. Some of that loose sand made for some great roost shots. Thanks for bein there to provide us with coverage.

[Pappy]

Haha that wasnt an angry look..that was my concentration-what can go wrong next- look:p Or my usual grumpy look LMAO! I do apologise, I just get into my own little world and do my own thing and try to not get used for traction!

Equipment gets trashed..its part of the game. I was happy that it still worked haha! I was more worried someone would emerge from that cloud of dust and hit me or run smack dab into a truck or trailer. That corner was bad!!!!!

[fastredrider44]

Yeah it was, I got a crappy start, so by the time I passed where you were, I was in a cloud of black.

[mikecole]

thanks for the report and photos

[cblinkiewicz]

Awesome coverage Pappy. Almost like being there!

[GE4x4]

Anybody know what happen to Ballance's quad? I heard Sommers smoked his clutch on his 450r.

[fastredrider44]

Originally posted by GE4x4
Anybody know what happen to Ballance's quad? I heard Sommers smoked his clutch on his 450r.

Sommers did mess up his clutch and if I heard correctly, Ballance pulled of due to pain. He just had surgery a few weeks ago. As far as I know he will be at Georgia though.

[xcountry]

AWESOME Photos and coverage as usual Kenny!
I will be back at Round 3 to pester you.
:-) amy

[Mxjunkie]

Awesome coverage on the minis! :macho